In the month of September, both shiitake mushrooms and eggplant are in season. In Japan, where many dishes feature fresh, in-season ingredients, you can expect to see a wide variety of dishes containing these flavorful and healthy ingredients.
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Typically held on the second Monday of October, Sports Day is a national Japanese holiday known for athletics and, surprisingly, food. Despite the event’s namesake physical activity, the bento box lunches are often where the real competition lies.
No matter how you choose to celebrate it, Tsukimi or Jyugoya is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the moon in all her glory. Enjoy some delicious Japanese dishes as you pay tribute to the beautiful autumn harvest.
Ramen noodle soup can be a great option to fend off the cold weather. Enjoy a quick bowl after work, or linger over a delicious midday meal with your family. Either way, you'll be sure to enjoy the unique Japanese food culture of ramen noodles.
The month of November is when apples and spinach are both in season. There are a number of ways to utilize these ingredients in Japanese cuisine. And cooking fresh Japanese meals with these ingredients yields a lot of health benefits and flavor.
Sweet potatoes and enoki mushrooms are both in season in October in Japan, and will be featured in many Japanese dishes during this time. These vibrant ingredients are also very healthy, and will make a good addition to your regular diet.
Kids in kimonos? Don't be surprised if you see Japanese boys and girls all dolled up come November. It's the time of year for shichi-go-san, a traditional aging ceremony held for children of specific ages.
The strange appearance of many traditional Japanese dishes might cause the uninitiated to avert their eyes, but if you want to challenge yourself and some guests this Halloween, think about giving some of these dishes a try!
Autumn, Culture, Food Traditions, Seasonal
12 Months of Japanese Holidays: September’s Jyugoya and Keiro No Hi
If there's one thing to be said about Japanese holidays, it's that they're all about reverence. September’s fêtes, Jyugoya and Keiro No Hi, demonstrate this, paying homage to the moon and the elderly, respectively, with fun and food.
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Quick & Easy Recipes
Recipe for those getting bored of avocado toasts.
Learn how to make spinach with a Japanese twist with Umami Insider's easy video. View detailed recipe and print it here too!
Ebi mayo is a popular traditional Japanese appetizer that you may have tried at an authentic izakaya bar. Now you can make them right in the comfort of your home kitchen with our easy-to-follow recipe and video.
Soups are an important part of Japanese food culture, but they are often overlooked. Here is an easy recipe for a ginger and onion spiced tuna, mushroom and onion dashi soup that's perfect for almost any season.
Eat healthy with this quick fried rice recipe! Perfect if you want to eat something healthy but are in a rush.
Healthy smoothie with a hint of green tea will get you ready for the day.
Skewered grilled chicken covered in Teriyaki sauce is the perfect dish for everything from afternoon barbecues to formal dinners, and our easy-to-follow chicken tsukune recipe and video has everything you need to make it at home!
Make an authentic Japanese simmered daikon radish with chicken soboro using our handy recipe. This dashi-broth-infused dish is simple yet elegant and packs a lot of flavor, making it perfect as a side or main dish for many different occasions.
These large meatballs contain a happy surprise inside! Just make sure to bite into them slowly...
Miso, mirin, and sake provide the flavor-rich marinade base for Salmon Saikyo Yaki, an authentic Japanese food recipe that is popular in restaurants all over the world and now can be created in four easy steps right in your home kitchen.
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Japan meets Italy in an explosion of flavor with our quick and easy to prepare Japanese pasta recipe. Using freeze dried miso soup from Miyasaka Jozo USA, this authentic Japanese recipe will bring the best of east and west to your dinner table!
Make a delicious sashimi tuna rice bowl from scratch using an umami-rich marinade to really bring out the flavor with our recipe. This special donburi recipe makes a great lunch or hot weather dinner and will impress friends and family.
Entertaining, Party Ideas
Enhance Your Japanese Dining Experience With These Easy-to-Learn Japanese Phrases
Learning some basic Japanese terminology regarding a dining experience can serve to enhance your meal. The handful of Japanese phrases and words in this short guide will enable you to impress your friends and show respect to the chef or host.
Adding dark green Matcha green tea to our traditional Japanese style creamy purin pudding results in a tasty and healthy authentic Japanese dessert that you can learn to whip up at home with our easy to follow recipe and video.
Sweet, delicious, and bright pink, this sakura kanten jelly recipe is a fun and yummy celebration of the flowering that takes place during the spring season. Make it right in your home kitchen with our easy-to-follow video and recipe.
One of Japan’s most commonly used vegetables is burdock root, also known as gobo. This large vegetable offers plenty of nutrition. Appreciated for its flavor as well as its healthy properties, gobo plays a large part in Japanese cuisine.
